Sick Leave
by skye3
Summary: First try on IM fic. Tony got a sore throat. Pepperony.


**A/N: Hello! This is my first ever IM fic. It's pointless, I know. But I hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.**

"Tony!" She called as she walked through the large expanse of the living room, making a bee line to the garage. "Tony! You better be up and ready or so help me I'm – Tony?" Her tone changed into confusion as she came to a stop and the base of the stairs. The whole workshop was dark and it was obviously missing its constant occupant.

"Jarvis?" she tilt her head toward the ceiling, "where is he?"

"Mr. Stark is in his bedroom, Ms. Potts." Came the prompt reply of the ever present AI.

"He better be in there getting ready." Pepper stomped up the stairs muttering.

"Tony!" she hollered as she approached his bedroom. She stopped in front of the closed door and waited. She had learned not to just barge in to his room a long time ago. Because the first – and the last – time she did that, she ended up blushing from her toes all the way up to the roots of her hair and ran away as fast as could in her four inch heels.

When she heard no response the rapped at the door, "Tony! We're going to be late, AGAIN, for the board members' meeting!" She pressed her ear to the door to get a clue of what he's up to. It was all silence until she heard him groan – low and painful. Panic took over and she quickly pushed the door open.

She hurried to his bedside. "Tony? What's wrong? Did you go on a mission last night? Are you hurt? Why didn't you call me?" Her eyes frantically searched for him in the darkness of the room.

Tony groaned at the string of questions thrown his way. He lifts the comforter just enough to let his head out. "Ms. Pottsss, I don't feel so gooood." He whines.

Pepper eyed her boss suspiciously. It is a fact that the man would do anything to avoid his meetings. "Jarvis, low lights please." And it was then that she saw him lying on his stomach, buried in his comforter. A feverish blush grazing his handsome face.

She placed a hand on his forehead and he sighs at the touch. "You definitely have a fever."

"What did you do last night?" she asked as she rummaged for the thermometer in his bathroom.

"Nothiiiing. I was a good boy. Ask Jarvis." He complies as Pepper motions for him to flip on his back. She puts the thermometer into his mouth.

"Huh." She's obviously not convinced. "Jarvis, what did Mr. Stark do last night after I left?"

"He worked on the suit until 11:04. Then he played video games until 12:30. And then he complained that he was hungry and went up to the kitchen where he found your chocolate chip ice cream in the freezer and consumed all of it."

Pepper gasped and glared at Tony. "You ate my ice cream?"

"I wash humgryyyy." His eyes were closed. But he heard going her back to the bathroom. After some shuffling she came back out.

Pepper took the thermometer from his mouth. "104. Open your mouth."

Tony opened one eye and saw her pointing a penlight to his face. He grimaced.

"Ahh…"

Pepper sat down on the side on the bed to inspect his throat and immediately, she knew what was wrong with her boss. She put the penlight on his nightstand and let out a frustrated sigh. "You didn't wash the ice cream down with water, did you?"

Tony just shook his head and gave her that sad puppy look which just became so much harder to resist since he's actually sick. And despite her annoyance, she couldn't help but notice how adorable he looked with a blanket wrapped up to his neck and his hair sticking out in all directions. God, the man looked sexy with bed hair.

"Um.." She shook her head to get rid of the 'my-boss-is-sexy-as-hell' thoughts. "I-I'll go get the Tylenol and see if we have something for your throat."

Pepper took a few minutes to letting the board know they won't be going in today and cleared Tony's schedule for the next two days.

When she came back, she found Tony sitting with his back against the headboard fighting to keep his drooping eyes from closing.

"Here," she sat on his bedside and handed him plate with two pieces of bread on it, "I know it hurts to swallow but I need you to have something in your stomach before taking your medicine."

Tony grimaced but began eating his bread. When he finished, Pepper handed him his medicine. After gulping in down with some water, he slid back into bed.

"Okay, I'll just go out for a while to get you some lozenges." She tells him as she tucked him in.

But Tony was quick to grab her wrist. "No."

"What? Tony, you'll feel better if you have some of those."

He shook his head. "No. I…I don't…. want you to go."

"Tony…"

"Please?"

She sighed. "Fine. I'll stay."

"Hmmm." he hummed as his eyes started to close. "Stay here with me?"

Damn that sad puppy dog face. "Okay. But I'm not ---"

She didn't get to finish the sentence because Tony had his arm around her legs and his head on her lap. Pepper started running her fingers through his hair.

"You better not get used to this."

He smiled. Who would have thought that there's an upside to having a sore throat?

**Thanks for reading. Comments are greatly appreciated.**


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